Steamtown National Historic Site

There's a lot to do and see here! There elements that kids can be hands on and tour a train car - all by yourself. There's a great kids area for when young ones are bored and plenty of entertaining documentaries and exhibits for the adult train enthusiast (or casual admirer). Add to that the ticketed items (at a great price) like trolley or steam train rides and this state park makes for a captivating day or two-day visit. Would highly recommend.
5 8 years ago (04-05-2018)

This place is jam packed with stuff, way more than your train enthusiast can handle in a day! I've been to a number of train museums, and this one ranks as the best for pure train information. I came off-season, and didn't get to do a train ride unfortunately. I suspect it would have been worth the money. The museum portion itself has several wings and I didn't have time to see it all in the four hours I was there! The movie they are showing is educational for children, but not so much for adults. Consider it a chance to rest your feet and watch a drama about the rise and fall in popularity of passenger train service. They have an impressive collection of engines, though, including a Big Boy. I'd only seen pictures of the big boy before this, and I tell you the visit was worth just to stand next to the pinnacle of steam power. I took a ranger guided tour through the shop, and that was an amazing and rare treat to see a working train shop. Now I bet this place gets crowded, my experience is off season, so do read other reviewers for what it's like when the summer crunch is on. The reason I'm saying steam town is among the best and not THE best is the lack of train equipment to climb on. But, this one has lots to see and lots of information.
5 8 years ago (31-03-2018)

A great place for anyone moved by trains --and who isn't? There's always some remarkable old trains in various stages of restoration in the yard. There are train rides for the kid in all of us. All of the employees are very approachable and knowledgeable. AND there are amazing displays in the various museums on site, and you can even walk through some wonderfully restored cars to get a feel of "how it used to be."
5 8 years ago (12-04-2018)

A great place to explore for the afternoon. There's no admission charge, so it's great for a quick local trip with kids. The roundhouse has several trains in restoration, and a few trains outside that can be explored hands-on. Inside there's a great museum covering the history of railroads in the US.
5 8 years ago (19-05-2018)

If you are a train buff or a lover of engineering behemoths lile the Union Pacific Big Boy, the 4-8-8-4 1 million horse power steam engine is a sight to behold. Also, is an active railway so on a daily basis you will see trains go by, you are allowed to get close, but not too close. Moreover, seeing the people restore and and refurbish the trains as well as talk about the history of the trains is amazing. Also be sure to check out the trolley museum as well. Also, if you want to ride a train the train excursions are done in the spring and summer other warmer months.
5 8 years ago (12-04-2018)